Up, Down and All Around

Sarah's Becoming

Went and bought a copy of Sarah Geronimo's latest CD, entitled Becoming.

Yes, that's what happens when you watch Bituing Walang Ningning without fail for twelve straight weeks. You become curious about the new album that's being hyped as Sarah's first "international" album.

The song that I liked the most is Track 11. It's now playing on the blog and is entitled Magliliwanag Rin... Muli.

The other songs, well, they're enjoyable but they reminded me too much of foreign artists who already have an established sound.

For example:

• Track 3. You Mean the World To Me - very Jennifer Lopez
• Track 4. Carry My Love - sounds like Coco Lee, especially in the intro. Towards the end, it was like Celine Dion or Mariah Carey.
  
• Track 5. After Love - most definitely a Sade sound
  
• Track 6. Baby Blue - made me think of Hillary Duff and Lindsay Lohan
• Track 10. Don't You Worry - sounds like early Jessica Simpson or Britney Spears.
• Track 12. Is This Love - Felt like Christina Aguilera.
  

Consequently, Track 11. Magliliwanag Rin... Muli was like a breath of fresh air. It sounds original, the arrangement was beautiful, the lyrics are touching, and Sarah's voice quality was perfect for it.

The title of the album "Becoming" is certainly appropriate, because the song selections gave me the impression that her handlers haven't quite figured out how to position her yet, or what her "sound identity" is (for lack of a better term). So it's like she's in the process of transforming into something, but isn't completely done morphing yet. She's still becoming.

On the plus side, the album does showcase all the different styles she can deliver. On the minus side though, her detractors can once again accuse her of not having her own identity, of once again copying the styles of other existing artists -- even if this time around she's copying international ones.

Tags: Music

Posted by CF at 3:10 PM